The Thief
by TheTeaDrinker
Summary: Marina has and always will be, the daughter of Daniel Ocean, a prince among thieves everywhere. But after her mother left them and her father got sent to jail, she's been doing her heists outside of America. Now, Danny Ocean's back, and with a new plan, and he just might need to get his daughter back to do it.
1. Chapter 1

Daniel Ocean walked and sat down in the chair. The chair itself was metal and uncomfortable, and he could hear the warden shouting to some other inmates in the distance. He sat quietly, comfortable, and watched as the inspector scribbled something on her paper.

"Good morning." She started.

"Morning," he nodded in greeting.

"State your name for the record." He noticed the tape recorder on her desk.

"Daniel, Ocean." He enunciated clearly.

"Thank you. The purpose of this hearing is to determine, if you are released, are you likely to break the law again. While this was your first conviction, you have been implicated-though never charged- in over a dozen other schemes and frauds." He folded his hands and looked down, as if remembering.

"What can you tell us about this?" She ended.

Danny looked at his hands, adjusted his position a bit then looked up again. "As you say, ma'am. I was never charged."

The man to her left spoke up. "Mr. Ocean, what we're trying to find out is…was there a reason for committing this crime, or was there a reason you simply just got _caught _this time?"

Caught. Danny didn't like the word. Well, he didn't like the word, the meaning, or what happened when it was applied to him.

"My wife left me." Danny started out, checking off a mental list in him head, "I was upset, I told my daughter to not get involved with me, and I got into a self-destructive pattern."

"If released, is it likely you fall back into a similar pattern?" A slightly stern woman asked.

"She already left me once; I don't think she'd do it again for kicks." He deadpanned.

"Mr. Ocean, what do you think you would do if released?"

Ahh, that was the question, wasn't it?

When Danny was released the first thing he did (of course) was get a new suit, and headed to a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.. For this whole thing to work, he would have to talk to Frank.

"Chips, please." He said when he sat down; Frank would be here in a couple of minutes, might as well get some money.

"Sure." The dealer handed him his. He was the only one at the table.

"Change 150, would you like quarters or nickels?"

"Quarters are fine." He answered, smiling when he thought of his daughter. She hated quarters for some reason. People had too many of them, she always said.

The dealer set out the chips. "Good luck."

"Thank you," Danny answered sincerely.

He looked up as the dealer busied away, noticing Frank talking to what looked like the casino manager. Frank noticed him too, appearing only slightly panicked before recovering.

"Twenty." Went the dealer as Frank started walking over, a smile plastered on his face fakely, "Dealer has 19. Good start."

Frank tapped the woman lightly on the shoulder, alerting her that he would take position.

"All right," she gave a smile, "going on break now."

"Here," he handed his things in, "Thank you very much."

"You have a good one," Frank smiled at the previously dealer, taking over the station. "How are you, sir?" He asked, as if he had never known Danny Ocean until now.

"Hello, Frank." Danny got to the point. Frank looked up slowly, appearing mildly irritated, since he was at the casino under a cover.

"I beg your pardon, sir." He said slowly. Danny just looked at him, amused. "You must have me confused with somebody else. My name is Ramon. Says so right here." He tapped his name tag, which clearly read, 'RAMON'.

Danny glanced from the name tag to Frank's(Ramon's) face. He understood immediately.

"My mistake." He said pleasantly.

"No problem, sir."

"Table's cold, anyway." Danny started stacking up his chips.

"You might want to try the lounge at Caesars. Gets busy after 1:00."

Danny stood, putting something in his pocket for later. "1:00?" He confirmed.

"Yes, sir." Frank nodded.

"Thanks Ramon." He walked away, his head bowed, Frank watching him leave.

Danny glanced up from his newspaper and his scotch, there was Frank.

"Ramon?" He greeted.

"Glad to meet you." Frank said happily, "Frank Catton can't get past the gaming board." He sat at the bar next to Danny.

"You just got out?" He asked, referring to the New Jersey State Prison Danny recently resided in.

"Just this afternoon." He raided his drink to his lips.

"You told Marina yet?" Frank asked carefully, reminding Danny of his daughter.

Danny cleared his throat, and sat a little straighter. "She's doing some job out of country. I wouldn't want to bother her. You seen him?" The conversation change was so abrupt Frank made a note not to mention her again.

"Last I heard he was teaching movie stars to play cards. Why? You have a plan already?"

"Are you kidding? I just became a citizen again." He remarked flatly.

In Hollywood, California, Rusty put another chip in his mouth, licking his fingers. He had just managed to get something to eat before he would have to go back into the club.

"Hey, Russ! Rusty, what's up, man?" He turned to see the young actor coming towards him, glee written on the kid's features.

He opened up the back door to the club, to avoid the reporters that swarmed the front doors. The movie star kept babbling on about his manager and some legal things, to which Rusty kept simply responding with noises and slightly interested questions.

He began his cards lesson, teaching and critiquing. These actor's obviously had never played poker before, and Rusty was left again, once it was over, sitting at a bar, drinking, wishing he was off robbing with his best friend, who had left months ago to go abroad.

"How's the game going?" The bartender asked. Rusty put down in glass.

"Longest hour of my life!" He yelled over the loud music.

"What?" the bartender asked, still smiling but not hearing a word Rusty said.

"I'm running away with your wife!" He shouted, trying to see if the man could hear. But he just smiled larger and nodded in agreement, making Rusty grin.

Rusty walked into the backroom to see Danny sitting with the actors, saying something that made them laugh.

"Hey, Russ, we got another player, if that's cool with you…" The kid trailed off, toothpick hanging out of his mouth.

Thirty minutes later, as the game got a bit quieter, one of the players asked, "Mr. Ocean, what do you do for a living? If you don't mind me asking,"

"Why would I mind you asking?" He glanced up at Rusty, who gave a small smirk into his cards.

"I just got out of prison." He stated, causing worried glances across the table.

"Really?"

"Well, why were you in prison?"

"I stole things." He put two cards into the center.

"You stole things? Like, uh, jewels…"

"Incan matrimonial head masks," Rusty said slowly, wondering where Marina was in all of this.

The two continued to make subtle banter, while the actors made little comments every now and again at them, until the game was up and they all left.

They got into Rusty's car, driving down the streets of Hollywood.

"God, I'm bored." Rusty remarked.

"You look bored." Danny said back.

"I. Am. Bored." He looked over at his friend. "So, how was the clink? D'you get the cookies I sent you?"

"Why do you think I came to see you first?"

They both settled into a restaurant, discussing the job.

"What's the target?" Rusty asked for the third time.

"When was the last time you were in Vegas?" Danny sipped his drink. Forks were clicking against plates somewhere behind them.

"You want to knock over a casino?" Rusty asked, almost incredulously.

Danny held up three fingers.

Rusty let out a laugh, then put his face in one hand.


	2. Chapter 2

They walked through an archives building, going over the design plans of said casinos they were going to take.

"The vault of the Bellagio." Danny started.

"If I'm reading this right, and I'd like to think that I am," Rusty peered down at the paper, "this is probably the least accessible vault ever designed."

They were both crouched over a table, looking at the plans.

"Yep," Danny agreed.

"You said three casinos," Rusty said, trying to remind himself of the money if this ridiculous plan worked.

"These feed into the Mirage and MGM Grand, but every penny goes into here." Danny pointed with his finger, Rusty following with his eyes.

"The Bellagio and the Mirage." Rusty listed off, trying to remember what the two casinos had in common.

"These are Terry Benedict's places." He looked at Danny, whose expression hadn't changed.

"Yes, they are." Danny looked at Rusty, who was letting out a loud breath of air, "Think he'll mind?"

"More than somewhat."

* * *

Ten minutes later Rusty was sitting on the table going over what they would need.

"You're going to need at least 13 people doing a combination of cons."

"Like, what, you think?" Rusty rubbed the corner of his mouth with his hand, racking his brain.

"Off the top of my head, I'd say you're looking at a Boesky," he looked up, "a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros, and a Leon Spinks. Not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald. Ever. Where will you get the money to back this?" He looked at Danny, who had a pointed look on his face.

"We hit these three casinos, we got our bankroll. Benedict's got a long list of enemies."

"But enemies with loose cash and nothing to lose?" Then he laughed. "Ah, Rueben."

"Hey!" A guard called from across the room, shining his flashlight at the two. They both reached up their arms to block the bright light, grimacing.

"Oscar, lower it a bit, would you?" Danny said calmly.

Oscar apologized, turning off the light, "You guys done here?" He asked. "Find what you want?"

"I was just going to take theses home for the night, make some copies." Danny held up the design plans for the Bellagio vault, Oscar probably not knowing their significance.

"Whatever you need."

"Appreciate it."

* * *

Danny and Rusty stood outside the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. Rusty rubbed his chin with his left hand, smirking softly.

"What?" Danny asked.

"We'll need Marina." Rusty stated simply. Danny scoffed, immediately saying,

"No."

"Come, on, Danny, why can't she be here? You used to take her on every heist." Danny rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and I used to have a wife."

Rusty sighed. "Last I heard, she was backpacking across Europe, thieving every small-town millionaire she could find. She'll love to do this, and she needs to know you got out."

Danny looked at him, then the ceiling, then the elevator doors. "Fine," he muttered.

"What?" Rusty asked. Danny _had _spoken softly.

"Fine, you can give her a call. How fast do you think she can make it?" Danny glanced at him.

Rusty laughed, and the doors opened, "With her sources, she'll probably beat us to Vegas."

They both stepped forward into the lift. Silent, for a moment.

"What's she doing in Europe anyway? She only speaks English."

Rusty turned to Danny, "Actually, while you were behind bars she became fluent in French and Italian. Said she was working on her Russian."

Danny gave a proud little smile, thinking back to his apparently much more talented daughter than he thought.

"That'll be handy."


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah Collins was a security systems manager. She worked for Smith's Locks, which didn't only sell locks, in fact locks were pretty much the smallest, most primitive thing you could buy from the whole company.

They worked in adding high-tech security systems to the best in the land, ensuring that these people would have their valuables hidden and safely locked away, never to see daylight again.

At least, that was Marina's cover.

Smith's Locks, technically, did not exist. Technically, if you searched hard enough, or if you searched at all, it would not show up anywhere. But Professor James Huron only wanted his special, one-of-a-kind jewels in a very special, one-of-a-kind of safe.

So that was what she would tell him.

"Oh, I can assure you, Professor Huron, that nothing, absolutely, _nothing, _besides you, will be able to get into that safe. Your jewels have the utmost importance to me and my crew," Marina gestured behind her to the men. Sarah Collins, she decided, was the kind of woman who had hand gestures. "We will make sure you, your home, and your jewels are completely safe."

The Professor nodded. He didn't talk much, that guy.

Marina looked around swiftly, the emeralds themselves would be extremely easy to take under this man's nose, but she would also need fakes, pronto.

Just then, a cell phone went off. It was hers.

Marina put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the phone. Rusty was calling.

"One moment," she smiled at the Professor, who nodded and waved her on.

"Yes?" She asked into the phone, keeping her British accent perfect.

"An O'Malley, Marina? How dull." She smiled just a bit, not enough for anyone to notice.

"What can I help you with?" She could hear what sounded like someone clearing their throat in the background.

"We're planning a job, and we need you, Mar." Rusty was…pleading? Something was off.

"I'm in a rather important business dealing, maybe some other time." She nearly hung up when she heard.

"He's out, Mar." She blinked, her cover breaking for a moment, before she reeled back and put the phone speaker to her shoulder, blocking the sound.

"Boys," she commanded to her men, they looked up, "please show the Professor some of the plans we have for the security systems." They just looked confused. They weren't very bright, these English thieves. "_Now."_ She added sternly, and they all scrambled, soon she was alone.

She raised the phone again, automatically replacing the British accent for her natural American one.

"You better tell me where the hell you two are, right now."

* * *

After a slightly heartfelt meeting in the airport, and a bit of slapping in the car ride, Marina, Rusty and Danny were all dressed and ready to go to Reuben's.

They explained the plan to the guy; he was eating outside by his pool. They just watched, with impassive looks on their faces.

"You're out of your goddamn minds! Are you listening to me? All three of you-you're nuts! I know more about casino security than any man alive. I invented it!" Marina just watched, running her finger along the side of her sunglasses. "And it cannot be beaten.

"They got cameras, they got watchers, they got locks, they got timers, they got vaults." Rusty glanced over at Danny gauging his reaction, which hadn't changed. "They got enough armed personnel to occupy Paris!" He shoved some salad into his mouth, then brought up his hands. "OK, bad example."

"It's never been tried." Danny pointed out.

Rueben laughed mockingly. "Oh, it's been tried. A few guys even came close." He put down his fork. "You know the three most successful robberies in the history of Vegas?" He leaned back. Story-telling time.

"Number three, the bronze metal. Pencil neck grabs a lock box at the Horseshoe. He got two steps closer to the door than anyone before. Second most successful robbery: The Flamingo in '71. This guy actually tasted fresh oxygen before they grabbed him. Of course, he was breathing out of a hose for the next three weeks. Goddamn hippie. And the closest any man has ever come to robbing a Las Vegas Casino was outside of Caesars in '87." Marina vaguely remembered this story from somewhere. "He came…he grabbed…they conquered."

"But what am I saying? You guys are pros, the best." They all smiled humbly. "I'm sure you can make it out of the casino." He went back to his salad. "Of course, lest we forget, once you're out the front door:_ you're still in the middle of the fucking desert!_"

"You're right." Rusty looked at Marina, who smiled. "He's right."  
"Rueben, you're right." She agreed.

"Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs." Danny added.

"That's exactly what it is, pure ego." Rusty held back a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah." Rueben shook them off with a shake of his hand.

"Thank you for lunch." Marina wiped her mouth with her napkin, the boys followed suit, beginning to stand up.

"The _Nicoise_ was delicious."

"Sorry we bothered you." Danny added, reaching to shake Ruben's hand. Marina and Rusty stuck theirs out as well.

"Look, we got way back…" Rueben shook each hand. "And I owe you from the thing with the guy at the place. And I'll never forget it."

"It was our pleasure." Danny smiled.

"The market there was a jackpot." Marina commented.

"I'd never been to Belize." Rusty added.

"Give Dominic your addresses. I've got some furniture I want to send you." Rueben yelled as they started to walk away. "Look, just out of curiosity, which casinos did you geniuses choose to rob?"

They stopped, looked at each other. Danny fixed his cuffs then listed, "The Bellagio, The Mirage-"

"And the MGM Grand." Marina finished.

They turned and almost started walking again when they heard the clatter of a fork falling on a plate.

"Those are Terry Benedict's casinos."

"Are they?" Rusty asked with a smirk.

"They are." Danny confirmed, looking at Rueben who had gotten up and was walking towards them across the patio.

"You guys…what do you got against Terry Benedict?" Marina smirked. Hook, line and sinker.

"What do you got against him?" Danny asked innocently.

"He torpedoed my casino." Rueben sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Muscled me out. Now he's going to blow it up next month to make way for some monstrosity." He said the words disdainfully, like it pained him to say it. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What are we doing?"

Rueben slowly faced Rusty, wording himself carefully. "If you're going to steal from Terry Benedict, you better goddamn know. This sort of thing used to be civilized, you'd hit a guy, he'd whack you, done. But with Benedict. At the end of it, he better not know you're involved. Not know your names, or think you're dead. Because he'll kill you, and then he'll go to work on you."

Danny stepped forward. "That's why we have to be very careful, very precise."

Rusty made a noise of agreement.

"Well funded." Marina snuck in, leaning forward.

Rueben looked at her, "Yeah, you got to be nuts, too. And you're going to need a crew as nuts as you are."

He smiled. "Who you got in mind?" 


End file.
